Various methods are used by retailers (e.g., brick-and-mortar stores and Internet-based stores) in an attempt to sell products. Some retailers attempt to use market-based data to promote products. For example, a retailer may identify or recommend to potential customers products that are best-selling or most popular among other customers. Some retailers may identify products that have received positive praise from third-party sources that may appeal to potential customers (e.g., Consumer Reports®).
In some cases, retailers attempt to appeal to an individual customer by recommending products based on what other customers may have purchased who bought or viewed similar products. However, the retailer often does not know why the other customers selected the product and so such a recommendation may not be effective with some potential customers. In an attempt to personalize the recommendations, some retailers may recommend products based on similarities between the products and previously purchased products of an individual customer.